SangoProduction
2020-11-16, 09:19 AM
As usual, my spheres builds go to level 10, because that's a realistic long-term goal for a long running campaign. Level 20 is pretty superfluous if you don't already basically start there. But as an innovation, I'll present the break points (important levels) of the build, with commentary of why they are of particular note. Do let me know of what you think.
This build is going to be primarily using the Alchemy sphere and Scholor's medical training. The intent is to be a master of healing and alchemical science.
Race: Humans are best, as always, because the bonus feat. It can be used for a bonus formulae, or improving your craft(alchemy) check to improve your formulae. Or....basically anything else a feat is used for.
If you want to go for a "breaking the mold" race, I'd recommend Ratfolk. They're small and have a racial bonus to both craft(alchemy) and perception. And I don't know many things more horrifying than having this race be your doctor come into the room.
Trait choices: Patient Calm: Take 12 instead of take 10 on a craft check.
Alchemical Adept: +2 trait bonus when using Craft (alchemy) for alchemical items.
Artisan: +2 trait bonus to a craft skill
Gnomish alchemist: +2 trait bonus to all craft (alchemy) checks.
Precise Treatment: +1 trait bonus to heal checks, and use intelligence instead of wisdom. (Yeah. Not a single trait that gives +2 to heal checks. And you already get int to Heal)
Equipment of note: First Aid kits (+2 to heal checks, 10 charges)
(Portable) Alchemy kit (+1 or +2 to craft alchemy checks, and halves time to craft formulae)
Masterwork tools (another +2 for 50 gp, if your DM doesn't rule that's already handled by the above)
Ioun Stone (one that adds bonuses to skills)
Mobile Hospital: +2 to heal checks. At 500 lbs, though, it's probably staying in the wagon as the description implies. But once you get to Scholar 3, you can make your Heal checks in preparation, so you get to use this.
Medic Satchel: SoM item, with many tiers, featuring higher bonus to Heal checks and refreshing charges, to a cap of +10 by level 9. Incredible.
Vial of Efficacious Medicine: 7,000 gold, but 3 times/day, you empower your remedy items to heal some more and grant a small bonus to saves, checks, AC, or CMD.
Feats: Skill Focus: for craft and/,or heal
Master Alchemist: +2 to craft alchemy, and mundane alchemy is super quick.
Instant Alchemy: Lets you indentify potions with craft(alchemy).... also lets you do spontaneous alchemy as a standard action.
Toilcrafter: Because it's somewhat flavorful to make magical weapons and armor out of your intense knowledge of mundane alchemy. Ask your DM for a homebrew version that works with potions.
Throw Anything: +1 to thrown splash weapons, which are most thrown formulae.
Extra Scholar's Knack: adds an additional scholar knack, which are quite potent. Only need 1 or 2 by the time you're level 10, so hopefully you can retrain feats.
Vaporized Formulae: Allows you to create vaporized versions of a formulae for +10 DC. Reflex saves are instead fortitude saves (letting you entangle that stupid rogue), and gives a 5ft AoE to single-target formulae like Salve.
Levels
Scholar 1 (Doctor archetype (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/doctor))
Why is it important? Inoculations grants allies immunity to your negative alchemy sphere effects. Baseline scholar also actually gives you a good use for your first aid kits.
Scholar 1 / Alchemist 2 (physician archetype (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/physician))
Why is it important? Trained Surgeon grants 10 uses of your first aid kits each day. Which makes it much less of a permanent expenditure of cash. Now the first aid kits are just rechargeable batteries, which makes it less painful to actually use your scholar abilities.
Oh, and level 1 of alchemist grants Emergency Supplies, granting [Int bonus] additional formulae prepared at a time, up to your alchemist level. The only limitation is that they can't be damage-dealing formulae.
Even a talent that added just 2 maximum formulae was considered broken and rejected as such.
Scholar 5 / Alchemist 2
By level 5 of scholar, you have doubled the healing ability of your heal checks, and at level 3 you can use the heal checks on any inoculated party members who are hit by one of your formulae that you infused with a charge of your first aid kit. Because obviously if you put a bandaid on bottled lightning it heals people.
Scholar 6 / Alchemist 4
Congratulations, you've reached level 10. You have 4 additional non-damaging formulae you can prepare at a time, and 9 bonus talents (the maximum) from scholar knacks. Stop at scholar 6, as scholar 7 is a dead level when considering the Doctor archetype, and you've still got things to grab from alchemist.
Scholar Knacks choices: Studied Technique: Adds 3 bonus martial talents each time it's taken, up to 3 times. This is 3x as efficient of a feat with Extra Scholar's Knack than Extra Martial Talent. Obviously. But that just shows its value.
Expert Healing: +1/2 level to heal checks, and healed hit points over maximum are kept as temporary hit points for 1 hour.
Cunning Attacker: Adds 2 + int mod, rather than strength or dex when attacking a scouted creature.
Alchemist Discoveries choices: Tumor Familiar (because familiars are good, whoda thunk)
Chameleon: +4 to stealth is a nice little bump if you ever need it.
Tentacle: I mean... Eh, I won't make any of those jokes.
Extend Potions: It's nice, if you have any potions you particularly like.
Material Imposition choices: Amonium Nitrite: Turns your free flash bangs into respectable damage, and gives them a chance to stagger. Really shouldn't *need* to resort to these by level 10, but maybe you have a really long dungeon run.
Circle of Salt or Silver: Dispel Magic.
Tungsten: DR, and stacking but removable debuff with flashbangs.
Magnesium: Because a 12 round blind on a failed save is probably worth using a flashbang for.
Total Talents, assuming Studied Technique x3: 15 +3 alchemy talents + 1 scout talent + your martial tradition.
Base sphere: Enables scouting of enemy defenses as a swift action, and grants +HD as bonus ranks in stealth.
Find Gap: Reduce scouted target's AC by 3 for 4 rounds
Advisory Scout: Grant scout bonuses to party for 3 rounds by level 10
Identify Rhythms: Increase your AC against the scouted target by 3, so long as you have martial focus.
Study Technique: Grants knowledge of target's BAB and combat talents known. You don't normally get that information directly, so while not incredibly useful, it is unique.
Not including the forced Salve and Panacea which alchemist gives.
Only 11 talents (13 if you take all the pure damage talents) made note of here, so you've got plenty to spend on all of these, and then some discretionary talents as well.
Cluster toss: Toss 3 items at a reduced efficacy with a standard action, by using martial focus (2 items before level 10). But 2x 90% is still 180%, and 3x 80% is still 240%
Snap Toss: Use a swift action and martial focus to throw an alchemical formulae. If you don't otherwise need the swift action (like for scouting), then this is superior until level 10.
Fireworks: bonus throwing range. Sometimes more bonus range than the base range.
Master Chemist: To gain access to poison, which you can trade out via martial tradition, and get Academic Enhancer for bonus DC when preparing your alchemy items, or Performance Enhancer so that your barbarian can 'roid rage.
Demolishing Chemistry: It's a meme, but if you want to break down the door like a barbarian, here you go. Might even hurt those beyond the door as well.
Focusing Formula: As a move action, expending the formulae, regain martial focus. Every 10 above DC 15, you gain an additional use before expending the formulae. This can help in getting real use out of the multi-toss talents.
Grease: Makes the target easier to disarm or trip, and to set on fire for 2 rounds. Oh, and forces a save if they want to get up from prone. Every 5 above DC 20, you can increase the penalty, or the duration. 4 round duration is great. 6 rounds is guaranteed for all but the hardiest of bosses.
Alchemist Fire or Acid Flask or Liquid Ice: Damage
Flash Powder: Huge AoE blind for 1 round. Every 10 above DC 20 grants 10 more radius and 1 more round of blind. Due to area coverage and dealing no damage, this makes a fantastic use of Revitalizing Compounds.
Fuse Grenade: Area control / potential damage. Improves in area and save DC with higher checks.
Smoke Bomb; 20ft radius, plus providing concealment. Every 10 above DC 15 adds 10 more radius, and makes it last an extra round. More AoE than Flash Powder, and your inoculated targets don't suffer miss chance.
Tanglefoot Bag: Entangle target. Every 10 above DC 25 adds 5 ft radius around the target as well.
This build is going to be primarily using the Alchemy sphere and Scholor's medical training. The intent is to be a master of healing and alchemical science.
Race: Humans are best, as always, because the bonus feat. It can be used for a bonus formulae, or improving your craft(alchemy) check to improve your formulae. Or....basically anything else a feat is used for.
If you want to go for a "breaking the mold" race, I'd recommend Ratfolk. They're small and have a racial bonus to both craft(alchemy) and perception. And I don't know many things more horrifying than having this race be your doctor come into the room.
Trait choices: Patient Calm: Take 12 instead of take 10 on a craft check.
Alchemical Adept: +2 trait bonus when using Craft (alchemy) for alchemical items.
Artisan: +2 trait bonus to a craft skill
Gnomish alchemist: +2 trait bonus to all craft (alchemy) checks.
Precise Treatment: +1 trait bonus to heal checks, and use intelligence instead of wisdom. (Yeah. Not a single trait that gives +2 to heal checks. And you already get int to Heal)
Equipment of note: First Aid kits (+2 to heal checks, 10 charges)
(Portable) Alchemy kit (+1 or +2 to craft alchemy checks, and halves time to craft formulae)
Masterwork tools (another +2 for 50 gp, if your DM doesn't rule that's already handled by the above)
Ioun Stone (one that adds bonuses to skills)
Mobile Hospital: +2 to heal checks. At 500 lbs, though, it's probably staying in the wagon as the description implies. But once you get to Scholar 3, you can make your Heal checks in preparation, so you get to use this.
Medic Satchel: SoM item, with many tiers, featuring higher bonus to Heal checks and refreshing charges, to a cap of +10 by level 9. Incredible.
Vial of Efficacious Medicine: 7,000 gold, but 3 times/day, you empower your remedy items to heal some more and grant a small bonus to saves, checks, AC, or CMD.
Feats: Skill Focus: for craft and/,or heal
Master Alchemist: +2 to craft alchemy, and mundane alchemy is super quick.
Instant Alchemy: Lets you indentify potions with craft(alchemy).... also lets you do spontaneous alchemy as a standard action.
Toilcrafter: Because it's somewhat flavorful to make magical weapons and armor out of your intense knowledge of mundane alchemy. Ask your DM for a homebrew version that works with potions.
Throw Anything: +1 to thrown splash weapons, which are most thrown formulae.
Extra Scholar's Knack: adds an additional scholar knack, which are quite potent. Only need 1 or 2 by the time you're level 10, so hopefully you can retrain feats.
Vaporized Formulae: Allows you to create vaporized versions of a formulae for +10 DC. Reflex saves are instead fortitude saves (letting you entangle that stupid rogue), and gives a 5ft AoE to single-target formulae like Salve.
Levels
Scholar 1 (Doctor archetype (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/doctor))
Why is it important? Inoculations grants allies immunity to your negative alchemy sphere effects. Baseline scholar also actually gives you a good use for your first aid kits.
Scholar 1 / Alchemist 2 (physician archetype (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/physician))
Why is it important? Trained Surgeon grants 10 uses of your first aid kits each day. Which makes it much less of a permanent expenditure of cash. Now the first aid kits are just rechargeable batteries, which makes it less painful to actually use your scholar abilities.
Oh, and level 1 of alchemist grants Emergency Supplies, granting [Int bonus] additional formulae prepared at a time, up to your alchemist level. The only limitation is that they can't be damage-dealing formulae.
Even a talent that added just 2 maximum formulae was considered broken and rejected as such.
Scholar 5 / Alchemist 2
By level 5 of scholar, you have doubled the healing ability of your heal checks, and at level 3 you can use the heal checks on any inoculated party members who are hit by one of your formulae that you infused with a charge of your first aid kit. Because obviously if you put a bandaid on bottled lightning it heals people.
Scholar 6 / Alchemist 4
Congratulations, you've reached level 10. You have 4 additional non-damaging formulae you can prepare at a time, and 9 bonus talents (the maximum) from scholar knacks. Stop at scholar 6, as scholar 7 is a dead level when considering the Doctor archetype, and you've still got things to grab from alchemist.
Scholar Knacks choices: Studied Technique: Adds 3 bonus martial talents each time it's taken, up to 3 times. This is 3x as efficient of a feat with Extra Scholar's Knack than Extra Martial Talent. Obviously. But that just shows its value.
Expert Healing: +1/2 level to heal checks, and healed hit points over maximum are kept as temporary hit points for 1 hour.
Cunning Attacker: Adds 2 + int mod, rather than strength or dex when attacking a scouted creature.
Alchemist Discoveries choices: Tumor Familiar (because familiars are good, whoda thunk)
Chameleon: +4 to stealth is a nice little bump if you ever need it.
Tentacle: I mean... Eh, I won't make any of those jokes.
Extend Potions: It's nice, if you have any potions you particularly like.
Material Imposition choices: Amonium Nitrite: Turns your free flash bangs into respectable damage, and gives them a chance to stagger. Really shouldn't *need* to resort to these by level 10, but maybe you have a really long dungeon run.
Circle of Salt or Silver: Dispel Magic.
Tungsten: DR, and stacking but removable debuff with flashbangs.
Magnesium: Because a 12 round blind on a failed save is probably worth using a flashbang for.
Total Talents, assuming Studied Technique x3: 15 +3 alchemy talents + 1 scout talent + your martial tradition.
Base sphere: Enables scouting of enemy defenses as a swift action, and grants +HD as bonus ranks in stealth.
Find Gap: Reduce scouted target's AC by 3 for 4 rounds
Advisory Scout: Grant scout bonuses to party for 3 rounds by level 10
Identify Rhythms: Increase your AC against the scouted target by 3, so long as you have martial focus.
Study Technique: Grants knowledge of target's BAB and combat talents known. You don't normally get that information directly, so while not incredibly useful, it is unique.
Not including the forced Salve and Panacea which alchemist gives.
Only 11 talents (13 if you take all the pure damage talents) made note of here, so you've got plenty to spend on all of these, and then some discretionary talents as well.
Cluster toss: Toss 3 items at a reduced efficacy with a standard action, by using martial focus (2 items before level 10). But 2x 90% is still 180%, and 3x 80% is still 240%
Snap Toss: Use a swift action and martial focus to throw an alchemical formulae. If you don't otherwise need the swift action (like for scouting), then this is superior until level 10.
Fireworks: bonus throwing range. Sometimes more bonus range than the base range.
Master Chemist: To gain access to poison, which you can trade out via martial tradition, and get Academic Enhancer for bonus DC when preparing your alchemy items, or Performance Enhancer so that your barbarian can 'roid rage.
Demolishing Chemistry: It's a meme, but if you want to break down the door like a barbarian, here you go. Might even hurt those beyond the door as well.
Focusing Formula: As a move action, expending the formulae, regain martial focus. Every 10 above DC 15, you gain an additional use before expending the formulae. This can help in getting real use out of the multi-toss talents.
Grease: Makes the target easier to disarm or trip, and to set on fire for 2 rounds. Oh, and forces a save if they want to get up from prone. Every 5 above DC 20, you can increase the penalty, or the duration. 4 round duration is great. 6 rounds is guaranteed for all but the hardiest of bosses.
Alchemist Fire or Acid Flask or Liquid Ice: Damage
Flash Powder: Huge AoE blind for 1 round. Every 10 above DC 20 grants 10 more radius and 1 more round of blind. Due to area coverage and dealing no damage, this makes a fantastic use of Revitalizing Compounds.
Fuse Grenade: Area control / potential damage. Improves in area and save DC with higher checks.
Smoke Bomb; 20ft radius, plus providing concealment. Every 10 above DC 15 adds 10 more radius, and makes it last an extra round. More AoE than Flash Powder, and your inoculated targets don't suffer miss chance.
Tanglefoot Bag: Entangle target. Every 10 above DC 25 adds 5 ft radius around the target as well.